How to Make an Itinerary: Part 2

I mentioned a few days ago that I would be writing a post that gives a direct example of my finished itinerary. So here is How to Make an Itinerary (Part 2). I’ve omitted specific names for safety precautions 🙂

Budgeting

BUDGET: $1000

Current total: $998

Already purchased: $261

• Flight: $227
• Housing Downpay: $34 (Hostelworld only has you pay some of the housing upfront, the rest is paid on arrival)

Will Purchase:

• Housing: $177
• Food: $200
  • High Tea: $40 total
  • Market 1: $15
  • Market 2: $15
  • Restaurant 1: $20
  • Cafe 1: $5
  • Cafe 2: $10
  • Cafe 3: $30
  • Restaurant 2: $15
  • Bakery 1: $5
  • Breakfast every morning: $35 (I want this money to kind of be free for snacks or a meal with someone I meet at the hostel)
  • Bakery 2: $10

• Transport: $150
  • 7-Day Metro: $32
  • Uber/Taxi: $50
  • Train: $66

• Events: $200
  • Tea Tasting: $50
  • Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island $25
  • Event: $50
  • Met Museum: $25

Proposed Itinerary

Keep in mind pretty much every day is able to be moved around except the first day and the last day!

Day 1: Arrive (Day 1 for me is almost always focused on wandering around)

• Arrive by 3PM
  • Wander Central Park
  • Wander High Line
• Market 1
• Cafe 1

Day: Queen’s Chinatown/Flushing

• Leave hostel and head for Flushing, arrive at 9:15ish.
  • Bakery 1: $5
  • Wander Chinatown, Park
  • 11ish Cafe 2 ($15)
• Leave Flushing at 1ish
• Leave for Soho Arrive by 3PM
  • Explore Soho (Broadway)
  • Cafe 3 at 5ish (make reservation)
• Leave for Times Square

Day: Tea Tasting

• at 9AM (make reservation)
• Rest of Day is Free (As I’ve said before, I like to only loosely structure my days so I can move things as need)

Day: Statue of Liberty/Event (This is a proposed “busy” day, where a lot of what I want to do is within similar areas, or in this case, a big gap in a nighttime event and a daytime event, so that I will have time to rest)

• Head to The Battery leave at 7:45 arrive 8:30
• Depart for Statue of Liberty ($20) takes 30 min (9:30)
  • Statue of Liberty 1 hour
  • Ellis Island 1 hour (leave at noon)
• Depart for The Battery, 30 min (12:30)
  • Wander 30 min
• Depart for High Tea (make reservation)
  • 1:45 Tea End 2:45ish
• Relax
• Event + Restaurant 1

Day: The Met

• Head to the MET
  • Opens at 10, be first in line >1PM $25
• Head to Market 2
  • Wander >2:45
• Back to Met if you feel like it
  • Back to MET until 5:30 closing
• Bakery 2

Day: Leave/Free Day

I also haven’t planned anything for this day because I still have a lot of time and I am undecided whether I should spend it closer to the airport or not bother. 

Conclusion

I hope this has been helpful to some of you! It took me awhile to find a good system that didn’t take too much time and is organized in a way that isn’t confusing (for me, at least!). The times are, obviously, estimates. If I take a longer time somewhere, it’s not a big deal, and if I take a much shorter time, I shall simply wander!